The Concept - 1986 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 1

Anne-Marie Mulgrew and Dancers Company returns to The Performance Garage in Philadelphia for SEA OF MEMORIES, a two-performance 40th anniversary concert featuring reconstructed works, world premieres, and film.

William 'Bill' Pullinsi, the director and producer credited with pioneering dinner theatre and founding Chicago's Candlelight Dinner Playhouse, has died at 86. His venues launched the careers of Mandy Patinkin, Shelley Long, and others.

Grand Rapids Civic Theatre will present a special centennial season featuring a lineup of classic and contemporary shows, marking a century of theatrical excellence.

Theater West End was wise to split Angels in America in the season as two separate performances, each with their own block in the schedule. Originally, I was concerned that the Part Two of it all might turn away prospective theatergoers. But upon watching both parts now, and bearing in mind my own familiarity for the characters, I can also see now how the original production’s 18-month gap would have also been enticing for an audience.

Broadwayworld had the pleasure of interviewing Leonel Baizan about his background, career and Taquería Condesa. 

While different tryout theaters have different relationships to the development of new shows, it’s worth looking at both which commercial rental theaters and which non-profit theaters have had the most Best Musical Tony Award winners come from their stages.

At Teatro VillaLobos, the Broadway classic takes on a new life under the direction and choreography of Bárbara Guerra, who updates the visuals with large screens and real-time projections without losing the soul of the original, with a fine-tuned cast that delivers moving performances in numbers like 'At the Ballet' and 'What I Did for Love'. Metalinguistic and vibrant, the production celebrates the dreams, pain, and persistence of those who live to dance.

Perhaps no one is more surprised Steve Hackett is doing a retrospective on THE LAMB 50 years after the fact than the guitarist himself. THE LAMB was ranked in the top ten of Rolling Stone magazine’s top 50 progressive rock albums of all time. The BBC called it a “conceptual masterpiece.” Hackett has another word for it: an anomaly.

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts has revealed its 25/26 season of programming, running September 2025 through May 2026. See full programming here!

Trying to plan your entertainment for the week or looking for a fun show to see this weekend? We have you covered with jazz, cabaret, comedy, and more including free outdoor summer concerts, musical theater star Christine Pedi and the JLCO.

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus have already made a major mark on Broadway, and 2025 is bound to be a milestone year as the biggest musicals that feature their work, Mamma Mia! and Chess, will be running at the same time. Let's learn more about both...

The Phantom has returned: Ben Forster, celebrated for his titular role in the 30th-anniversary West End run of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 'The Phantom of the Opera,' is back to don the iconic mask for the musical’s world tour, which is now playing at the Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands.

Chess is returning to Broadway for the first time since 1988! Catch up on the iconic musical's history, cast, songs, and plot before the revival begins.

Miller Theatre has announced its 2025-26 season—a combination of new and early music, as seen through its core series Composer Portraits, Early Music, and Jazz, alongside community hits Morningside Lights and Pop-Up Concerts. 

Into the Woods is a Tony Award-winning 1986 Musical written by Stephen Sondheim (Music/Lyrics) and James Lapine (Book), marking their second collaboration following Sunday in the Park with George (1984). Into the Woods premiered in 1986 at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre and then was followed by a Broadway transfer in 1987 which amassed three Tony Awards (Best Score, Best Book, and Best Actress. A year in which many know the “Great White Way,” was dominated by The Phantom of the Opera.

Next month, 54 BELOW will presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond, including Lorna Luft and Andrea McArdle, Marilyn Maye, and many more. See the full lineup here!

“Wax & String”, the new hard rocking, fuzzy single by Shannon and The Clams kicks off with driving rhythm guitar and vocals from guitarist Cody Blanchard. Listen to it now!

Get ready to bring home the epic fantasy movies from prolific genius Jim Henson when Shout! Studios presents LABYRINTH Limited Edition 4K UHD™ + Blu-ray™ Collector’s Set and THE DARK CRYSTAL Limited Edition 4K UHD™ + Blu-ray™ Collector’s Set.

This time, the reader question was: What is the history of Romeo and Juliet on Broadway?

Little Shop of Horrors, the musical version of the 1960 cult film classic, has been as indestructible as Audrey II, its ravenous man-eating, soul music-loving plant. The 1986 remake, starring Rick Moranis, was the basis for the Broadway musical, which actually got its start before the Moranis remake, in an Off-Broadway production four years earlier. Since it finally reached Broadway in 2003, it has become a mainstay in regional and community theatre. The show's success can be traced to its Alan Menken/Howard Ashman score, a love letter to early '60s pop styles, including doo-wop, Motown, soul, and Phil Spector girl groups (the three-female members of the Greek chorus that hover in nearly every scene are named Crystal, Ronette, and Chiffon in Spector's honor). 

This week, writer-director Kevin Smith’s new film, The 4:30 Movie, premieres with an original soundtrack by award-winning composer Bear McCreary. The two-time GRAMMY®-nominated, Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning composer’s original soundtrack is available now on all DSPs.

The Dance Centre will present the Global Dance Connections series.

Theater for the New City will present its twelfth  Dream Up Festival in August. See the full lineup and learn how to purchase tickets.

It’s hard to imagine the impact George C. Wolfe’s razor-sharp satire “The Colored Museum” must have had when it opened in New York nearly 40 years ago. 

Discover the MIRÓ QUARTET's tribute to their hometown of Austin in their latest music video, OVER THE RAINBOW.